On May 7, 2025, the Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously approved the Hillside Trace affordable housing community. The approval included a conditional rezoning of 3 adjacent parcels located at 607-617 Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd. The Taft-Mills Group, who is partnering with the Community Home Trust to develop the property, proposed the construction of 190 affordable apartments for households earning less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). The apartments will include a mix of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units.
“We are thrilled that the Council has approved the largest affordable housing project in the Town’s history,” says Sarah Viñas, Director of the Town’s Affordable Housing & Community Connections Department. “This project will make substantial progress toward the Town’s affordable housing goals and is in an ideal location with its proximity to jobs, downtown amenities and public transit.”
The project is located less than a mile from downtown and sits along the Town’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. The project supports the Town’s goals for high density development in this area and contributes to the Town’s Affordable Housing Plan goal of adding as many as 900 units of affordable housing over the next 5 years.
The Taft-Mills Group will apply for 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), tax exempt bonds, and local funding to help finance the project.
